Priority is claimed with respect to German application No. 101 17 082.3 filed in Germany on Apr. 6, 2001, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The invention relates to a device for removing rod-shaped objects, in particular cigarette rods or cigarette filter rods, from a production line for processing, in particular for tobacco processing, and for conveying the previously removed, rod-shaped objects to a remote location, in particular for a periodic check. The device comprises a turning arrangement for turning the rod-shaped objects.
A device of this type is generally used for monitoring the production of cigarette filters by removing filters periodically and at predetermined intervals from the production line. The device is used for checking filter dimensions, material, quality and/or other relevant criteria, in particular in a remote testing station, to draw conclusions concerning the production quality. A turning arrangement is provided because the removed, individual cigarette filter rods are generally conveyed in a longitudinal direction while they are generally positioned at a different angle for the removal from the production line. Thus, the cigarette filter rods can be oriented accordingly and then transported off. To be sure, the cigarette filter rods are normally transported in the production line such that they are arranged side-by-side in a row and crosswise to their longitudinal extension. In particular, they are guided over a drum from which respectively one cigarette filter rod is periodically removed at specific time intervals. The rod-shaped objects are generally deflected by an angle of approximately 90xc2x0, but are not limited to that.
European patent application No. EP 0 409 443 B1, which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 5,116,298, discloses a device of the aforementioned type that is used for removing cigarette filter rods and comprises a shuttle plate as a turning arrangement and a rotating device for rotating the shuttle plate. The rotating device rotates the shuttle plate between a first position in which a cigarette filter rod is picked up from the drum and a second position, in which the removed cigarette filter rod is pushed with compressed gas into a discharge pipe. In the second position, the cigarette filter rod is arranged orthogonal to the cigarette filter rods in the production line.
It is an object of the present invention to modify a device of the aforementioned type so that the design of the turning arrangement is simplified.
The above and other objects are accomplished according to the invention by the provision of a device for removing rod-shaped objects from a production line, comprising: a turning arrangement adapted for receiving the rod-shaped objects removed from the production line and comprising at least one, essentially fixed in place and rigid guide means for swiveling the rod-shaped objects; and transporting means for receiving the swiveled rod-shaped objects from the turning arrangement and for transporting the swiveled rod-shaped objects to a remote location.
With the at least one essentially fixed and rigid guide means according to the invention, the rod-shaped objects are moved with restricted guidance and, in the process, are subjected to a swiveling movement. As compared to prior art, the invention has the advantage that all movable parts are omitted, which not only leads to lower production costs, but also simplifies the maintenance during the operation and thus lowers the repair and maintenance costs.
The guide means preferably forms a guide surface, which is somewhat partially twisted around an axis extending approximately in the movement direction of the rod-shaped objects and positioned in the guide surface. Owing to the fact that the removed, rod-shaped object moves along the guide surface and essentially makes contact with this guide surface, the object is correspondingly turned as a result of the twisting of the guide surface.
Alternatively, the guide means can form a guide surface with a partial helical shape, for which the turning axis extends approximately in the movement direction of the rod-shaped objects. With this alternative embodiment, the guide surface is shaped and thus has the effect of a screw or spiral, on which or along which the removed rod-shaped object moves.
For a secure guidance, at least two spaced-apart guide elements must be provided, between which the rod-shaped objects are guided.
At least one guide element is required to guide the rod-shaped objects accordingly, wherein the guide element can be designed, for example, as a (preferably trough-shaped) slide.
However, several guide elements can also be arranged at a distance to each other and side-by-side in a row, which has advantages with respect to production technology, wherein it is useful if the several guide elements are arranged in two spaced-apart rows. For this, the guide elements (respectively) arranged in a row can be arranged in an imaginary plane or surface, which is somewhat partially twisted around an axis extending approximately in a movement direction of the rod-shaped objects and positioned in the plane, or has a partial helical shape with the rotational axis extending approximately in the movement direction of the rod-shaped objects.
For production technological reasons, it is particularly useful if the guide means is comprised of rods or bars, preferably with an essentially round cross section, or as sheet-metal guides. The use of, in particular, several rod-shaped or bar-shaped guide elements has the advantage that the turning arrangement can be more easily cleaned. In addition, round rods can generally be aligned well in a stay. However, other cross sectional shapes are conceivable as well, such as a triangular, oval, and the like.
The guide means comprising rod-shaped or bar-shaped guide elements or designed as sheet-metal guides, advantageously has the required twisted form corresponding to the aforementioned surface configuration. However, at least one pair of spaced-apart rod-shaped or bar-shaped guide elements or sheet-metal guides, which essentially follow the outer surface spanned by the one shell of a hyperboloid, can also be provided to achieve the desired turning movement of the rod-shaped objects guided between the two guide elements of such a pair.
A conveying device is normally provided, in which the rod-shaped objects are conveyed at an angle, preferably crosswise to their longitudinal extension.
In addition or alternatively, a conveying device of this type can also be designed for moving the rod-shaped objects under the effect of gravity to the turning arrangement. In that case, the guide means according to the invention can also take over a braking function. If the guide means comprises a plurality of guide elements, at least one of the many guide elements can advantageously be designed to have a braking effect on the guided, rod-shaped objects.
The conveyor furthermore can have a chute extending at an angle relative to a horizontal line, which is designed for transporting the rod-shaped objects.
The turning arrangement is normally followed by a device for transporting the rod-shaped objects to a remote location, wherein the transporting device is provided with a receptacle having a first opening for accepting the rod-shaped objects and a second opening for removing the objects by transporting them away. According to the invention, a design of this type has a closing element, which can be arranged such that it can move between a first position where it opens the first opening and preferably closes the second opening, and a second position where it closes the first opening and opens the second opening. The closing element is advantageously positioned such that it can swivel.
A particularly compact design of the device according to the invention can be achieved by arranging the turning arrangement at the closing element.
The closing element can be designed as a rocker with the turning arrangement sitting on the top, particularly if the turning arrangement conveys the rod-shaped objects under the effect of gravity.